An fishing weekend away with mates has turned into a “huge fundraiser for a much needed community organisation”. The Stawell and District Angling Club will host a kayak fishing tournament this weekend to raise funds for the Pomonal Primary School. Neal Dowsett, a Pomonal local, had the idea of organising a weekend of kayak fishing with some friends but quickly realised it could become something bigger. “Kayak fishing is becoming bigger and bigger. I saw it on TV in America and thought I could organise a small comp at Lake Fyans,” he said. “What started as a couple of blokes quickly grew and now we have people coming from all over the place including Melbourne, Horsham, Hamilton and more. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we had around 100 people come.” The competition will run from 7am-1pm on both Saturday and Sunday. A barbecue lunch and raffle will be running on both days to raise funds for Pomonal Primary School. School principal Belinda Wethers said it is “fantastic” to see local organisations collaborating for a good cause. “Pomonal is a small community and we all rely on the support of each other,” she said. “This weekend will be a great opportunity to get local families together to try something different. “I know we are always looking to build our book library so any money we can raise will be a big benefit to our school.” The weekend’s event will be the first year it has run. Dowsett said he hopes to see people come down and “give fishing a go”. “We will have experts teaching people how to kayak and how to fillet a fish which would be great for anyone without any experience,” he said. “It will be a good way to promote Lake Fyans, Pomonal and the region in general.” Dowsett said plans are already underway for the 2019 competition. “We are hoping to get a big name fisherman next year as a bit of a drawcard,” he said. Anglers wishing to compete will need a valid fishing license. On site camping is available.